Mahathir Explains Firing of Deputy;
Public Support for Anwar Increases

By

Leslie Lopez Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Sept. 9, 1998 12:01 a.m. ET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad offered his first public explanation for the dismissal of Anwar Ibrahim, saying his former deputy premier lacked the moral standing to lead Muslim Malaysia, and rejected any hopes that his one-time protege would be allowed to return to his administration.

At the same time, however, public support for Datuk Seri Anwar appeared to be growing, with few thousand people crowding...